This application claims priority of Taiwan patent Application No. 090203419, filed on Mar. 7, 2001.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a socket-and-plug assembly, more particularly to a socket-and-plug assembly with a latch member for an electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been a trend to provide electronic connecting ports for electrically connecting electronic devices, such as notebook computers, personal digital assistants, and mobil phones, in public areas or transport vehicles, such as airplanes and trains. The connecting ports normally include a socket member for receiving a plug member from the aforesaid electronic devices. It is important for the plug member to be securely retained by the socket member without being undesirably disassembed.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a socket-and-plug assembly with a latch member that is capable of securing a plug member to a socket member.
According to the present invention, a socket-and-plug assembly comprises: an insulator socket member including a cylindrical body that defines an axial direction and that has front and rear ends, the socket member further including a mating flange that extends outwardly from the rear end of the cylindrical body in a radial direction relative to the axial direction, the cylindrical body being formed with a looped recess that extends frontwardly from the rear end in the axial direction, and a core that is surrounded by the looped recess and that is formed with a plurality of spaced apart terminal passages which extend from the rear end in the axial direction, the mating flange defining a mating opening that is in spatial communication with the terminal passages, and having a top end that confines a top side of the mating opening, the top end of the mating flange having front and rear sides, and being formed with a bottom recess that extends from the front side to the rear side in the axial direction and that is in spatial communication with the mating opening; an insulator latch member including a hollow body that extends in the axial direction and that confines a plug receiving space, the hollow body having a top wall confining a top side of the plug receiving space, an inserting end section which is received fittingly in the looped recess, and a fastening end section which is opposite to the inserting end section, the latch member being formed with a latch receiving opening in the top wall between the inserting end section and the fastening end section, the latch receiving opening being defined by a peripheral wall that has a rear end adjacent to the fastening end section, the latch member further including an resilient latch arm that extends frontwardly from the rear end of the peripheral wall in the radial direction into the latch receiving opening and that has a hooking free end which is opposite to the rear end of the peripheral wall, which extends through the bottom recess in the top end of the mating flange, and which releasably engages the front side of the top end of the mating flange, the latch arm being resiliently pressable so as to permit disengagement of the hooking free end from the front side of the top end of the mating flange and so as to permit disassembly of the latch member and the socket member; and a plug member including an insulator plug housing and a plurality of conductive terminals mounted in and projecting outwardly from the plug housing in the radial direction. The plug member is insertable into the socket member in a manner such that the plug housing is received in the plug receiving space and that the terminals are respectively and fittingly received in the terminal passages.